Greek border guards have arrested 13 Turkish nationals and seized 147 pistols in what authorities are calling a major weapons smuggling operation near the Greek-Turkish border.
The arrests were made near the village of Tyhero, authorities said. A special border guard unit intercepted the group and discovered the handguns, along with 190 magazines and other firearm components, hidden in suitcases and bags.
A Greek judge has ordered six of the 13 suspects to be held in custody on charges of weapons trafficking and illegal entry into the country.
Those six have claimed they were unaware the bags contained weapons. The remaining seven suspects are scheduled to appear before an investigating judge on Wednesday.
Authorities suspect the weapons were intended for a Turkish-based criminal gang known as the "Daltons," which has been linked to violent incidents in Greece and Spain.